FORMER EU Commissioner Ray MacSharry played no role in the appointment of his nephew to a position at Sligo IT, the institute said yesterday.

Mr MacSharry is the chairman of the governing body at Sligo IT. His nephew Trevor McSharry was recently appointed head of civil engineering and construction there.

In a statement Sligo IT said his appointment to the €76,000-a-year position was "clear, fair and transparent".

A spokesperson said Ray MacSharry was "not involved in the selection process or the review of the process, nor was he present at the meeting of the governing body on September 5 which considered the outcome of the review".

Sligo IT confirmed a story in the Irish Independent earlier this month that a member of the institute's governing body had threatened to resign if a full meeting of the governing body didn't take place.

"A second member of the governing body raised concerns about the process involved in the recruitment and, as a result, a review. . . was held prior to the governing body meeting of September 5," said the statement.

"The outcome of the review was that the recruitment process was clear, fair and transparent," the spokeperson added.

The statement followed an Irish Independent Freedom of Information request.